WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1736/97 by Dominique BAUDIS to the Commission. Joint European aircraft certification authority
Date: 1997-05-23
Institutions: BAUDIS DOMINIQUE, European Parliament
Subjects: Community certification, air transport, harmonisation of standards, international convention, safety standard, transport safety

C 21/88

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 1. 98

Council  Directive  96/97/EC  of  20  December  1996,  amending  Directive  86/378/EEC  so  as  to  bring  it  into
conformity with Article 119 of the EC Treaty, as interpreted by the Court of Justice in its (cid:145)Barber(cid:146) judgment and
related subsequent judgments, stipulates that Member States shall take the measures necessary to comply with
the said Directive by 1 July 1997. The Commission intends writing to all Member States in the very near future to
ask them to supply details of the measures taken to implement the Directive.

(1)  OJ L 225, 12.8.1986.
(2)  OJ L 46, 17.2.1997.
(3)  Equality of treatment between men and women as regards retirement age in statutory schemes has not yet been introduced. Pursuant to
Article 7(1)(a) of Directive 79/7/EEC (OJ L 6, 10.1.1979), Member States may continue to apply different retirement ages for men and
women.

(98/C 21/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1736/97

by Dominique Baudis (PPE) to the Commission

(23 May 1997)

Subject: Joint European aircraft certification authority

What steps have been taken in response to the European Parliament(cid:146)s request concerning a proposal to establish a
European  joint  aviation  authority  for  worldwide  harmonization  and  implementation  of  aviation  regulations,
aircraft safety standards and certification (Doc A3-0426/92) (1)?

(1)  OJ C 72, 15.3.1993, p. 173.

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(3 July 1997)

The  Commission  has,  on  several  occasions,  stressed  the  need  for  a  European  aviation  safety  authority,  to
establish  common  high  safety  requirements  and  to  ensure  their  effective  and  uniform  application  throughout
Europe, as well as their promotion world-wide.

On  10  December  1996,  the  Commission  adopted  a  recommendation  for  a  Council  decision  to  authorise  the
Commission pursuant to negotiating directives to negotiate, on behalf of the Community, with European third
countries, the international convention which it considers necessary to create such an authority.

Discussions on this basis continue in the Council and the Commission is hopeful that it will soon obtain the
authorisation which would allow it to proceed.

The Commission intention has been discussed in Parliament(cid:146)s committee on transport and tourism during its
debates on the Commission(cid:146)s communication (cid:145)A Community aviation safety improvement strategy (1).

(1)  SEC(96) 1083 final.

(98/C 21/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1737/97

by Bernard Stasi (PPE) to the Commission

(23 May 1997)

Subject: Management by the Community of natural resources in southern Africa

At  its  meeting  of  17-20  March  1997  in  Brussels,  the  ACP-EU  Joint  Assembly  unanimously  adopted  two
resolutions  concerning  southern  Africa,  acknowledging  the  success  of  Community  programmes  for  the
management  of  natural  resources,  for  example  the  (cid:145)Campfire(cid:146)  programme  in  Zimbabwe,  and  endorsing  the
strategies selected by the countries of southern Africa to develop their rural economies and protect resources in
terms  of  biodiversity  by  making  rural  communities  more  aware  of  their  responsibilities  in  this  respect  and
ensuring sustainable use of natural resources.